Arboretum celebrates 'Destination Asia'

The Morton Arboretum's Destination Asia Festival continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 5 and 6, at the outdoor museum, 4100 Route 53 in Lisle.

Visitors will have a chance on both days to view athletic demonstrations, including sumo wrestling and a performance by a Mongolian strong man. They'll also have an opportunity to learn about the arboretum's diverse collection of trees from China, Japan and Korea.

Three performance areas will showcase a range of entertainment, including Malaysian silat and kung fu martial arts; music and dancing from the Philippines, Mongolia, Korea, Indonesia and India; and Japanese shinkendo swordsmanship demonstrations, as well as Japanese storytelling.

Additionally, visitors can play games and enjoy activities common in Asian countries, including cricket, badminton and origami. The metal origami-inspired sculptures of the arboretum's current exhibition, Origami in the Garden, will be on display throughout the weekend.

An instructor will lead a demonstration of aerial yoga in a hammock secured from a tree branch and a selection of food trucks will offer Asian menu options to festivalgoers throughout the weekend.

Included in the festival is the annual Prairie State Bonsai Society Show, featuring demonstrations and the chance to learn more about the ancient Japanese art of bonsai, sculpting and pruning trees for ornamental purposes, as well as flower arrangement known as ikebana. Visitors are encouraged to vote for their favorite.

The festival is free with arboretum admission. For the full event schedule, visit mortonarb.org.